Bodine, Germain set focus on another title

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Germain Racing's 2007 plan to split the season between the Craftsman Truck Series and Nextel Cup Series is gone, thanks to a decision for Todd Bodine to vigorously defend his 2006 Truck Series championship.

As late as the first week of December, the Germain brothers -- Bob, Steve and Rick -- had planned to possibly explore the Nextel Cup Series with a No. 03 Camry in "15 select events that represent top markets and NASCAR's premier events."

Bodine elaborated at Jackson Hewitt Preseason Thunder.

"We were going to run 15 Car of Tomorrow races, with a few car of today races in there," Bodine said. "And then run 15 truck races and have a kid do the rest of the truck races, trying to bring along another driver."

But plans changed for the owners and driver after winning the title.

"Since we started the team in August of 2004, our primary goal has been to be Toyota's No. 1 truck team and to win them their first NASCAR championship," Bob Germain said. "In 2007, our goal is to successfully defend our truck championship and also be the first Toyota team to win a Nextel Cup race.

"With the team we have, I think it's very possible."

Since its debut in 2004, Germain Racing has captured 10 Truck Series victories, all by Bodine with two in 2004, five in 2005 and three last season. Bodine's current teammate is 2005 Truck Series champion Ted Musgrave.

Bodine reiterated his commitment to the Germain brothers and the Hillman family -- team manager and father, Mike Hillman, and Bodine's truck crew chief, Mike Hillman Jr.

"That's why I want to stay here, and why I feel like, if I can, I will never leave the Germain brothers and this team," Bodine said. "I always knew that if Mike and I could get together in the right situation with the right funding, that we could be successful together.

"We've always had that confidence in one another. We're finally in that position -- and I made the mistake of leaving at the end of 2004 and we all learned a very valuable lesson -- that when you have something special, you have to stick with it.

"That's why I'm back and that's why we're sticking with it, no matter what we decide to do."

Bodine said the current plan is for Germain Racing's Nextel Cup debut to come at the Allstate 400 at The Brickyard, in July at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

"We're not just going to run COT races," Bodine said. "We're going to run some car of today races, out of necessity and because of where they're at."

Bodine said his truck team would not completely do the Cup program.

"Yes, the truck team will be involved in the Nextel Cup program," Bodine said. "But we'll have to hire some people specifically for that program, as well."

Bodine also said he had yet to test the prototype Camry COT that was built as a cooperative venture by the Germain team and Wyler Racing, another Truck Series operation that fields Toyotas for three-time series champion Jack Sprague.

Johnny Benson, another Toyota Truck Series driver, tested that car at Homestead-Miami Speedway last fall.

"Tony [Furr, Wyler Racing's Truck Series crew chief] has done two tests with it so far, and we're going to do some testing, but we haven't, yet," Bodine said. "I talked to Johnny about it after he tested at Homestead, and he says it drives a lot like a truck and there are a lot of similarities to a truck.

"But he said a lot of things about it are not like a truck, either. Trucks have a lot of side force -- a lot more than a car -- so that's where it's a little different."

Sill, Bodine said he's eager to drive a COT in race conditions.

"I feel like the things they've done with it, having a splitter, having a rear wing and the things they've done with the bodies -- I think it's going to be incredible racing, and that's why I'm really looking forward to it," he said. "And I think the experience of a truck crew chief is going to help go faster in a Car of Tomorrow."

Bodine said his team had not even broached the subject of possibly switching its concentration if someone went on a tear and put the Truck Series' championship out of reach by mid-summer.

"That's a good point, but we've never talked about that," Bodine said. "I suppose someone could get 300 points ahead and that could happen, but a lot of it depends on sponsorship, too."